A woman tending young tree saplings in a nursery, part of the reforestation work being done at Bore, Kenya, in association with Community Carbon Link and other organisations in Wales

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THE Western Mail is presenting a unique opportunity for a young person to spend two weeks working with locals to help save tropical rainforest in Africa.

The Wales-Kenya Forest Expedition 2014 will see 14 young people aged 18-24 travel to the rural community of Bore in Kenya this August.

“This unique expedition is all about a team of young volunteers from Wales going over to Africa to help a community of poor farmers adapt to the impacts of climate change – the way things are going they’ll be needing all the help they can get,” said expedition organiser and director of Community Carbon Link Ru Hartwell.

Thirteen of the volunteers have already been selected but the last member of the expedition will be chosen via a competition through the Western Mail.

The other 14 members of the expedition will include nine students from the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, two school- leavers from Ysgol Bro Pedr, Lampeter, and two young unemployed people from Ceredigion.

Tropical forests such as those at Bore are known to play a critical role in maintaining carbon dioxide at a safe level in the atmosphere.

Recent data from Global Forest Watch, the international forest monitoring service, shows a significant level of deforestation in Kenya. Deforestation has been identified as one of the primary causes of climate change because of the carbon dioxide that is released when trees are burned.

Because of this environmental organisations in Wales have worked for several years with community groups in Kenya to try to promote both reforestation and sustainable use of the existing forest resources.

In particular, they have worked with the people of Bore to create a forest reserve spreading over more than 20 acres and to plant tens of thousands of new trees.

The latest project, organised by the Community Carbon Link, is to help locals build a forest visitor centre in the reserve.

It is hoped that the visitor centre will in time provide a sustainable income stream for the local community, and become a base for future volunteers from Wales.

A plot of land has been set aside for the centre and has already been cleared of scrub. The volunteers who will travel from Wales this summer will take part in construction work on the site.

Bore is situated in a remote forested location with few comforts or modern facilities, so this is not a trip for the faint-hearted.

The expedition has been funded under the Welsh Government’s GwirVol International grant stream and is also supported by Size of Wales, the national charity conserving tropical forest all over the world. All expenses are covered, which means that the chosen volunteer will not have to pay anything towards the costs of the trip, other than taking a recommended amount of £50 to £100 personal spending money. The normal cost of such a trip would be around £3,000.

The trip will last two weeks and there will be a one-day induction course in Lampeter around a week before departure. Volunteers will fly out as a group to Kenya on August 12.

After two days acclimatisation in Mombasa, the volunteers will make the journey into the bush in the all-terrain expedition truck which is run by Oasis Overland, an ATOL registered company.

The truck is fitted out to meet all basic and potential needs and includes items such as cooking, sleeping and first-aid equipment. Oasis has 24-hour office back up and operational support in Britain.

Most of the third day will be spent in travelling but the group will arrive in Bore in time to set up camp there before nightfall. As a volunteer you will stay in the bush, camping and working as a member of a team responding to the needs of the community and helping on the construction of the forest centre for the following seven days.

After packing up, you will be treated to a two-day safari in a nearby wildlife reserve where you will have a chance to experience a wide range of iconic Kenyan wildlife.

The group will then return to Mombasa for rest and relaxation by the Indian Ocean in preparation for the flight back to Britain.

There will be a final half-day review and feedback session in Lampeter after the trip that you will be expected to contribute to. Here you will have a chance to showcase your expedition photos, videos and share your experience.

The Western Mail and Walesonline are partners in the expedition, and as the winner of our competition you will be expected to write an online blog and produce video which will be posted online. There will also be an opportunity to write for our newspapers.

Before applying, think hard about whether you will be able to cope with the harsh realities of life in the African bush. You will be visiting a small and dispersed community of subsistence farmers who struggle to make a living from charcoal burning which leads to the destruction of their tropical forest.

You will be part of a group and will be expected to co-operate with other volunteers in daily tasks such as cooking, cleaning, setting up and packing away, and any other expedition duties that arise. No particular skills are required for the expedition, just enthusiasm, willingness and a positive attitude.

How to enter

To enter our competition for the last remaining place on the trip, simply write to us in no more than 300 words explaining why you want to join the Wales-Kenya Forest Expedition 2014, what you think you can bring to the trip and why you would be the best candidate for this opportunity.

Send your entry by email to chris.kelsey@mediawales.co.uk. The final date for entries is April 11.

Candidates submitting what the judges consider to the best entries will be invited for interview to take place in early May, with the winning entrant being notified shortly afterwards.

Eligibility criteria

1. You must be between 18 and 24.

2. You must have a UK passport valid until at least March 1, 2015.

3. We are looking for individuals who are well motivated, keen to contribute and are able to work as part of a team.

4. Participants will need to show sensitivity to the host community and their very different culture.

5. An awareness of the issues around climate change would be an advantage, as would previous experience of volunteering or charity work.

6. The GwirVol funding stream is keen to support an inclusive volunteering trip so different needs will be embraced by the expedition team. However, such needs must be disclosed in advance so that appropriate support may be provided.

7. The volunteering work on this project is primarily focused on helping the community of Bore start building their Forest Centre so any previous experience of construction or manual work would be an advantage but is not essential. Time permitting there is a secondary objective to improve the Forest Reserve in which the centre is located so experience of woodland, landscaping or wildlife work could also be advantageous.

The expedition organisers will provide travel and medical insurance and anti-malarial medication, but volunteers will need to consult their GP and make sure they have the right vaccinations. The organisers will reimburse all vaccination costs.